WingNut722

@OccamsRazor I doubt very much that the Wings will let Brunner get away. He had a hell of a rookie season this year and to let him test the free agent market when good young forwards are in demand would be reckless. I suspect, knowing Ken Holland, that they'll offer him a decent raise and a 2-3 year contract. Enough to make him stay, but not enough to break the bank if he turns out to be a lemon.

@hf101 I agree that Filppula is gone and so is Ian White. As for a buyout, I don't know that Kyle Quincy or Carlo Colaiacovo would be the targets. Both of the stepped up their game quite well late in the season and in the playoffs. Colaiacovo has only one year left on his contract so there's no point in letting him go. Quincy has the better chance (out of the two), but with Defenseman at a premium this season, the risk might be too great for the reward. I'd certainly rather have Quincy than Brian Lashoff at this point. Lashoff still needs some development, but can certainly step in for injuries at any point.

After the cutoff from the original post, I only added that I was a bit shocked to see Valterri Filppula being allowed to look for work elsewhere. Although I do have to admit @yave1964 has been saying it all season. Toward that end I would like to see a younger, more aggressive forward come up. This would give Nyquist a "semi-permanent" spot while we await the prognosis on Darren Helm. Even Tomas Tatar is ready to see some more NHL time. I would hate to see a kid that talented spend his better years in Grand Rapids. As for FIlppula, I imagine he could grab a good slot in a younger market as a more experienced play-maker. That brings clubs like Edmonton and NYI to the forefront. They certainly have the cap space, and could use the lessons he would bring from spending so much time in Detroit.

@jammer2

I don't think they'd give up on Filppula so easily. With some of the other forwards better trade material (like Eaves), and some of the younger guys who can still benefit from time in the minors (Andersson), I think Filppula will be offered a one- or two-year contract with the proviso that he step it up. Others are certainly waiting, but FIlppula has been a solid and dedicated member of this team. Holland sees that and appreciates it. They won't give up on him so easily.

@yave1964

Well put. It was a great game to watch. Both teams played well, but the Hawks were just able to find their chances more often. No dirty or soft goals, no even the one that was waived off. I would have preferred a different outcome but I had a great time watching that game last night. They can be proud of what they accomplished this year.

@SpikeDDS

If you can get the Detroit Red Wings to read my post....well, then I need to make sure I spell everything correctly!!!

Winning in Chicago is not too unfamiliar to them, though it will be tough. They did play well in Game 4 and a performance like that would be welcome. But as it stands, I'm hoping for a performance like Game 2, where they handed Chicago a 4-1 loss in their barn. It's a whole different atmosphere and the joint will be jumpin'.

I think you summed it up perfectly, though. The game will be won or lost in the first 10 minutes. Unfortunately, the Red Wings don't always come out swinging in important games.

The good news is that, if victorious, we have the Kings waiting for us, instead of those pesky Sharks. The Wings have a much better opportunity against LAK than SJS.

The other fun fact I figured out this postseason... The Red Wings move to the Eastern Conference next season. This removes the tremendous travel burden from their shoulders but also takes them away from their all-time rival Chicago Blackhawks. How interesting is it that this post-season alone has put the Red Wings through a 7-Game series travelling back and forth to southern California, a 7-game series against Chicago, and potentially, another long series back to California? Right before they move to the East, the run up the maximum amount of travel miles as well as the maximum number of games against the 'Hawks. Just sayin'...

@SpikeDDS

@yave1964

@mojo1917

@flyercanuck

Agreed an all counts, Gentlemen. There's only one chance and that is to push hard. Get pucks in deep and hard. The biggest problem they had (that I saw) was puck control. Particularly through the neutral zone. This has been a perennial problem for the Red Wings and now it needs to be alleviated quickly. Everyone needs to play like it's their last game of their CAREERS.

Here is one for you, the Hawks are rumored to be very interested in using an amnesty buyout on Hossa, his contract pays him until he is 43 and they have a ton of young talent coming up in the forward ranks. How nice would it be to see Hossa back with the winged wheel?

Hmmm...I have two ways to answer that. The "quintessential" fan in me says absolutely yes. Without a doubt. If the rumors about Pavel Datsyuk leaving for Russia after next season are true, then Hossa would be a very capable substitute. However, the "sentimental" fan in me says maybe not. Hossa was here for a year and made no attempt to hide the fact that he was only there for hardware. I kinda feel that a player should be on the team due to a deep and healthy respect for the team, and not just use it as a springboard to a better chance at winning a Cup.

@Polaris922

So what did you end up doing? Vomiting? Hating ourselves? Or was it......something?

@yave1964 Ian White is gone. Eaves is trade bait, but I can't ever see Holland parting ways with Cleary, Filppula, or Miller. If you're still looking for a Top 4 defense, maybe you should reevaluate the need. The Red Wings have been outstanding on defense lately, which of course goes to the full effort the entire team has been giving. I agree with a sniper/power forward. Those kind of players are out there, and the Wings certainly have the money to get one or two of them. But if they get a Top 4 defender, who do you move? Kindl? Send Brendan Smith or Danny DeKeyeser (back) to Grand Rapids? Colaiacovo is proving himself this past week, and still has a year left on his contract.

I think if the Wings can pack a bit more scoring depth into their lines, their need for an increased blueline will be that much less. I still have my eye on Franzen though...$4MM a year until 2020? Sounds comfy.....

And I'll take a beer please. Something tall, cold, and Canadian.

@yave1964

Sounds like we may be looking at a potential epidemic here!

@ruxpin Nice!

@yave1964

Told ya!!

@jammer2 It's pretty thrilling to see these guys play they way they have been. Living up to their potential. Despite the less-than-stellar regular season, they can be proud of a first-rate performance in the Playoffs.

Toews may be ailing from something, but I know the Wings have made sure to keep him tightly checked. Still, he's an elite player, and elite players should still manage to break free a time or two. He's had a few good looks, and he's certainly getting his chances. I think he had 7 shots last night, including one crossbar. Things just aren't going for him right now.

It is good to see Colaiacovo back in good form. He spent the better part of the season on the bench for one reason or another, but let's not forget that he's a pretty good puck-moving blueliner, which is why the Wings picked him up the first place. He'll be around next year as he's on a 2-year contract, but depending on how well DeKeyser develops, he may be let go at the end of it.

For the record, I never though Babcock's job was in jeopardy. He's been so successful with Detroit to date that there's no way Kenny Holland would dump him after one lousy season. He's at least earned that much respect with the organization.

@ruxpin LA would be a tough opponent, but I sure would rather face them than San Jose. Eitherway, they're back to travelling long distance and playing late games. However, if they make it through that, then I think they'll be just tenacious enough to take the wind out of Pittsburgh's sales. I mean, hell, they came that far...

Another full 60 minute effort by the Red Wings last night to handle the Blackhawks. Let's review:

The Blackhawks went 5-0-0 against the Red Wings in the regular season.

The Blackhawks put together a string of 27 straight games without a regulation loss

The Blackhawks lost two in a row in the regular season only a handful of times

The Blackhawks defeated the Minnesota Wild in 5 games in the WCQF.

The Red Wings just handed them two straight regulation losses, one in each building.

I know we all figured that the Blackhawks would easily handle the Red Wings in 5, maybe 6 games, but they way they're playing, there's a distinct possibility that the Detroit Red Wings could come out on top.

What an incredible game to watch last night. Gustav Nyquist has a fair bit of magic in his hands. Dare I call him Pavel Nyquist??? The first two goals came from unlikely sources on heads-up plays. Detroit had dictated the play for the entire game last night, with the exception of a few minutes after Kane's goal, where it appears the 'Hawks were starting to hit their stride. Thankfully, the disallowed goal put a lid on it.

The Red Wings now have full home ice advantage for the rest of this series. If they win Thursday, they'll have a stranglehold on the series. If they lose, hopefully the loss will be extremely close, as in a flukey goal in overtime, so they can still hold their heads high and claim the moral victory.

Personally, I think the 'Hawks are just plain stunned right now that anyone (ANYONE!!) can hand them two straight losses like that. Least of all these scrappy Red Wings who could pot even 10 goals against the in 5 total games all season long.

What say you?

I love how he's so shrewd with the press. Cracks me up. I wonder if the press is getting wise to it and if they just hate talking to him.

The Wings played exceptionally well Saturday, and it was great to FINALLY beat Chicago for the first time this season. Not only that, but a 4-1 win on "real" goals (no empty-netters) will show the Hawks that the Wings really mean business. Babcock got a full game out of all four lines, and it was great to see Drew Miller back! The Joe will be a-hoppin' tonight but the Red Wings will have a very small window to get the jump on Chicago if they want to ride their new-found momentum. Chicago sat back in Game 2 and paid for it dearly. They're not likely to make the same mistake twice.

Zetterberg did a real good job of handling Toews and keeping him off the scoresheets so far. Patrick Sharp's been the toughest to contain. Though he didn't score, he's getting a fair bit of chances, especially playing on a line with Kane, and now the rumors are that Viktor Stalberg will once again be on the ice after sitting for a bit. Stalberg is a dangerous winger, and the Wings haven't seen him yet.

Let the octopi fly! First home game against Chicago in Game 3 of a tied Western Conference Semifinal series..... I predict....8 total octopi on the ice tonight!

@yave1964

I agree with you almost identically. The Wings will steal one, maybe two, MAYBE. But they have no chance against the Machine.

Personally, I don't think Wings or the Sharks will make it that far. I've been figuring on a CHI-PIT final for most of the regular season. They've been the two most consistent teams. If the Red Wings make it past Anaheim, they'll likely meet Chicago, who will wipe them out. San Jose's series will be against wither LAK or STL, both of which can beat the Sharks very easily, so it could absolutely go either way. I certainly would not want to wager any money (HF Tokens?) on that series.

So to address your initial concern, @SpikeDDS, I think it's a non-issue....

@hf101

How can you not love him? He's such a cute, spunky little guy!

I'm usually not one to pay attention to these tidbits, but this one is certainly interesting:

Regarding last night's game against the Kings....

Jordin Tootoo, wearing Number 22, scored the 2nd goal of the game, which secured their 22nd win of the season, which the Wings desperately needed in order to make the playoffs for the 22nd straight year.

I agree with @yave1964. A playoff berth this season would really only be to continue the streak. I think it would help the mentality of the players as Babcock mentioned in the interview quote from @hf101, but really that's it. The only real chance Detroit has, I feel, is if they win out the next three games, and manage to get into seventh place and meet Anaheim in the WCQF. After all, as of this morning, Columbus and Minnesota are tied in the standings. We've been able to play well against the Ducks this season (better than against the Blackhawks, anyway) so that presents a more plausible opportunity to advance

@yave1964

Clarification - Holland is doing fine, but looking for a transitional player appears to be his current assignment.

Yes, we could have had Bouwmeester and/or Pominville (and who's to say we he didn't present an offer), but the name and numbers aren't always the whole story. Those two guys are good players...with the team they're currently (or up until just recently) representing. But their skill and style has to mesh with Detroit's, otherwise they're useless. Holland weighs very heavily the input of Mike Babcock, and if Babcock isn't convinced they'll help, Holland won't even pick up the phone. League-wide, Ken Holland, and Mike Babcock are considered, year after year, some of the best in the business at their jobs. It seems unlikely that both of them would drop off in their collective intellects at this particular point.

As for Tatar, I think he was just rotated back to Grand Rapids in order to get Nyquist some playing time. I think Holland is simply trying to develop the younger players a bit quicker than normal (Hell, even Riley Sheahan saw some ice time recently). They'll be at the core of the "new" Red Wings in the next few years. Particularly if the rumors about Datsyuk are true. Danny Cleary seems to be losing steam, and Todd Bertuzzi is on his way out.

@yave1964 @SpikeDDS

Good afternoon, Gentlemen. Sorry for the extended absence, but life demands....

The prospects in the system are good enough to grow with. Additionally, with the recent additions of Kirk Maltby, Nick Lidstrom and Chris Osgood to the scouting/development department, I don't have any worry that Detroit will continue to draft well for the next several years. I have not lost any faith in Ken Holland.

Yave, you contradicted your own argument in your last post. You claimed Holland did nothing to improve the team at the trade deadline this year, but then said there are no decent free agents for summer picking. If there's no one decent, why should Holland overpay them for the last three weeks of the regular season and one round (ostensibly) of the playoffs. I think the next crop is there. Pav and Z are a bit like Lidstrom...irreplaceable, pound for pound. There are very few forwards like them and as capable as them in the NHL today. One signed a ridiculous contract with Minnesota this past summer, another couple have become the marquis faces of the Chicago Blackhawks. I believe their replacements are currently wearing the Griffins' red and blue. I am speaking of one Thomas Tatar, and Gustav Nyquist. With additional ice team in the big leagues, players like Joaquim Andersson will also improve much in the same way that Abdelkader and Helm have.

What Holland should be (and I what I believe he is doing) is searching for a "transitional" player. A crafty veteran, either forward or defense, who can bridge the gap between the established, but aging players, and the next generation. My guess is it will be defense. Ian White is gone after this season. Signing DeKeyser sealed his fate, so figure Holland to be looking hard at the blueliners again this summer. I also anticipate Todd Bertuzzi to be thinking about retirement. He's too bull-headed to do it now, but my guess is after playing his next "full" season.

I should just put it on my profile headline already, but Franzen is worth his weight in broken doorknobs. It's a bad position to try and buy him out. If they do, there will be no money left in the bank for decent replacement, so we're stuck with him.

In the end, though, I will agree with Spike, and say if nothing significant happens by the trade deadline next season, I (and likely Mr. Pizza) will become concerned about Holland's methods.

I think it's common knowledge in the front office that the Wings did not have a real good shot at the Cup this year, so Ken Holland was not going to shop for a high-priced rental to finish out the season. That, and it seems they'll be in rebuilding mode anyway. They tried for Parise and lost. They tried for Suter and lost. They tried for Iginla and lost. Having any one of those guys would not provide any good chances of winning it all (unless you had all three). I think the biggest concern is to make the playoffs (which they can do with the squad that they have), do the best they can, and start over next season. The salary cap will be reduced, and team will take advantage of their one buyout. When that happens, the Red Wings will be right there with open arms and a pile of money.